Arch construction.



W. DYER. ARCH CONSTRUQTION. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. ms.

Pan nted Apr. 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

anwntoz W. DYER. ARCH CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED APR. a. 1916.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. WALTER DYEB, O1 PORTLAND, OR EGON.

ARCH CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTER DYER, a citizen of Great Britain, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have'il'ivented certain new and useful Improvements in Arch Constructions; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

M invention relates to improvements in the uildin of arches and analogous structures, and t e main object thereof is to provide a number of arch forming sections which may be quickly and easily assembled to form the structure required, said sections being so constructed as to be effectively held in place without the use of extrinsic means, while other sections are being ap v "plied.

With this general object in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinationsof parts .to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this application and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a par tially completed arch constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a disassembled perspective view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an outer side elevation of one of the arch forming members;

Fig. 4 is an inner side elevation thereof;

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively an edge and an end view of the aforesaid member;

Fi 7 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

F i 8 is a perspective view showing a modi ed form thereof.

In specifically describing the construction shown in the drawings above briefly described, similar characters will be placed on corresponding parts throughout the several views and reference will be herein made to the numerous elements by their respective indices. To this end, the numerals 1 desi nate a pair of sleepers which will usual y be employed and which will be constructe' of cement or other appropriate masonry, and in some cases a similar bottom 2 will extend between the sleepers 1 as shown, this bottom Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

Application filed April 8, 1916. Serial No. 38,584.

one piece as shown or of a number of sections rigidly secured to ther. It is essential, however that sai arch be provided with a flange 4 extending from one of'its edges and continuing from one end thereof to the other, said flan e havin in its upper surface a lon 'itudinally exten" ing groove 5.

Abutting tlie aforesaid edge of the arch 3 and supported by the flange 4 thereof is a second arch 6 which is composed of a number of intern ediate members 7 and a pair of end memb( rs 8. Each member 7 consists of an inner rectangular section 9 and an outer similarly shaped section 10, the inner and outer seitions being offset both transversely and longitudinally from each other in a diagonal direction and overlapping approximately ne-fourth of their areas as disclosed at 11. The laterally extending portion of the on ter section 10 is provided with a longitudinally extending rib 12 on its inner face for reception in the groove 5 while the late rally extending part of each of the lower sections 9 has formed in its outer surface a lon itudinal groove 5. As will be clear from ti e drawings, when the arch is being OOIlStBLCtGd, the laterally projectin parts of the members 7 of'the arch 6 wifi overlie the fl mnge 4 of the arch 3, and the longitudinall; extending portions of i the aforesaid members will overlap.

The end nembers 8 are very similar in construction o the members 7, but they are provided with no longitudinally extending portions on their lower ends in order that they may pro oerly rest on the sleepers 1.

Abuttmg tie arch 6 is a similar arch 6" constructed of intermediate members 7 as above descrii ed and end members 8. The ribbed upper sections of the members 7 of said arch 6 overlap the grooved lower sections of the at 'ch 6 as shown, with the ribs received in the grooves, and the and members 8 are of such a length as to cause the numerous membem of the two arches to break joints at their ends to strengthen the structure.

Any numb er of arches 6 and 6 may be employed, aid these arches will alternate as will be ieadily understood. After so constructing the complete arch, of the numerous members 7 and 8 which will preferabl be formed of cement, liquid cement will e poured or spread over the entlre structure and run into the interstices between the numerous structural units of which said arch is composed. This having been done, if the device is to be used as a .culvert beneath a roadway or the like,

earth may be piled over the same, the weight of this earth as well as the li uid cement above referred to serving to e ectively hold all parts of the arch in assembled relation.

It will be readily understood that my invention ma be well used as a tunnel lining and that i this bedone, earth, rock or cemcnt may be acked between the lining and the ,wall of tlie tunnel. Also, I may construct the numerous members of the arch of cast metal as indicated at 7 in Fig. 8, and may use these members as molds or forms in constructing arches of cement and the like, it being obvious that after the material has hardened sufliciently the form may be removed and advanced for further use.

Particular emphasis is laid upon the fact that the sections 9 and 10 overla one-fourth of their areas, and also upon t e interlocking ribs and rooves. By this arrangement, the individua members 7 will remain in position as they are applied without supporting means other than that provided by the g ll-pjectin sections of adjacent members.

is is o viously of great advantage and as stated results primarily from the proportions shown and described and from the interlocking ribs and grooves. However, thesame result can be obtained by constructing the members of the aforesaid roportions but by eliminating the ribs and grooves.

I am aware that I am not the originator of an arch ,forming member comprising inner and outer sections straight transversel curved longitudinall and offset diagonaliy in both longitudinal and transverse directions, this broad idea being disclosed in U. S. Patent Number 546245 of September 10, 1895 (see Fig. 10). However, the proportions of the lock shown in this patent are not such as to allow each individual block to be self sustained as it is applied, as is the case when constructin the arch forming members of the proportions shown and described in the present application. This change in proportlon is therefore considered a salient feature of the present invention, and its combination with the ribs and grooves described is also important.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation and advantages of my improvements will be readily understood without requiring a further explanation, but in conclusion I will state that although the sections 9 and 10 have been shown, described and claimed as strictly rectangular and as overlapping exactly onefourth of their areas, minor changes in shapeand proportion may be made within the scope o the invention.

A self sustained block for building arches com rising an inner elongated rectangular hal curved in longitudinal section and straight in transverse section, and an outer elongated rectangular half also curved in longitudinal SGCtlOXL and straight in transverse section, the two halves being overlap ed and integrally joined at one corner an being oflset both longitudinally and transversely from each other with one side edge of each half disposed on the longitudinal center of the other half and with one end disposed on the transverse center thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER DYER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT B. Rmawar, MARY LAIDLAW. 

